Malotype

Cover image for the Malotype word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Malotype

n.
a certain person who embodies all the things you like the least about yourself—a seeming caricature of your worst tendencies—which leaves you feeling repulsed and fascinated in equal measure, having stumbled upon a role model of exactly the kind of person you never want to be.

Latin malus, bad + typus, a kind of sculptor’s mold. A mold is essentially a negative image of the object you want to sculpt—so if you’re trying to shape yourself, perhaps a good first step is to scoop away the negative space. Pronounced “mal-uh-tahyp.”

Vulture Shock

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Fitzcarraldo

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Spinning Playback Head

silhouette of a person looking out a window

Thrapt

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Offtides

close-up of a chromed metal object

Slipfast

Cover image for the Slipfast word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows